


Culmination

by ergowritesoccasionally



Category: No. 6 (Anime & Manga), No. 6 - All Media Types, No. 6 - Asano Atsuko
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of attempted rape, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 22:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18170381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ergowritesoccasionally/pseuds/ergowritesoccasionally
Summary: The night Shion had returned home with a black eye.





	Culmination

An unmistakable air filled an already condensed space. Nezumi could taste it, immediately recognizing it as dirt. He became aware of the cold metal waiting patiently in the back pocket of his cargo. He slithered his fingers around it, tight yet delicate, and stanced himself. Listening carefully, he could hear that the dirt had footsteps. 

“It’s me.” A tattered voice, Shion’s. 

Peeking through the keyhole, Nezumi saw that signature white hair tinted slightly red. With such, he nearly flung the door open to let the boy in. Shion stood in the doorway, a tight and choking sob lodged in his throat, inching its way up. His face was decorated with bruises and cuts of all sorts, most notably a dark, velvety black eye. 

Gently, Nezumi’s hands removed from the handle of his knife to cup Shion’s cheek, gently so he couldn’t hurt him any further. “What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Shion looked down, holding back tears with every ounce of strength he had. “Can we just stop the bleeding? It’s just by the scalp.” 

Nezumi faltered, but nodded, heading to the small drawer where he kept his gauzes and that. He had used it on Shion only once before, and it had been much worse. The fact that it wasn’t a repeat of those shrill screams he endured was the only thought that comforted him then. “Sit on the bed.”

Shion did as he was told. Nezumi’s sitting down shifted the weight of the bed they shared, and his fingers began searching white strands for the peak of the red leaking on them. 

“Red, red like your eyes, Sweet Prince.” Nezumi muttered, pressing the gauze firmly down. Shion flinched at this. “People don’t hurt you for no reason here. What did they want from you?” 

Shion looked down.

“You need to tell me, so I can tell you how to protect yourself.” Nezumi reminded him, gently removing the bandage once the bleeding had stopped. “What did they want from you?” he repeated.

Shion could tell that Nezumi meant it. Reluctantly, he answered. “Sex.”

A painful spear struck in Nezumi’s chest when he heard Shion utter the word. Burning.

“I ran- I ran really fast. He hit me, but I got away.”

Tears pricked Nezumi’s eyes for a quick moment. He didn’t let them fall. “Shion…” he pulled Shion into a hug, tighter and more loving than any other touches the two had ever shared. Shion leaned into the crook of Nezumi’s neck, feeling Nezumi’s long strands tickle his cheek ever slightly. A few tears dared leave Shion’s eyes, but he would never make them known. 

“I’m picking you up from now on. Every single time.” Nezumi promised, gently removing himself and Shion from their embrace. Slowly, as though not to startle, Nezumi stood up and reached for a book he had read earlier that afternoon. He acted as though he would have read a small soliloquy then, but instead placed the text on his head as though it were some sort of hat. 

Shion stared at the absolute ridiculous display Nezumi placed before his teary eyes, eventually cracking a smile. “What the hell are you trying to do?” he laughed. 

“Your majesty turns into travesty, and oh what sorrow burden carries my heart. O, how I loved you dearly, bare I cannot to see my only sunshine in such grimaces. Methinks a flicker of gold my heart ignites, upon you my eyes, my only love, my only weakness.” Nezumi said, “Like it? I just got it off the top of my head.”

Shion snorted at the pun. 

“You try it on,” Nezumi insisted, placing the book on Shion’s own set of hair like he would a crown, “Your Majesty.”

“Methinks what the fuck?” Shion giggled, reaching to feel the book’s hard cover. It stumbled off at the touch, only having Shion laugh harder. In a sudden and swift movement, Shion grabbed onto his chest tightly and smally grunted. 

“Did he get you there, too?”

Shion nodded. “Sorry. I spoiled the moment.”

Nezumi shook his head, a brief and stubborn no. “You laughed.”

Shion looked up, his red eyes meeting pools of grey, filled with a balance of love and hate, he’d come to unconditionally adore. “I laughed.” he nodded. 

“And methinks if you laugh, you are there wholeheartedly.” Nezumi smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Now rest and we’ll find a way to fix this eye of yours tomorrow.”

Shion nodded, but before Nezumi could walk off, he tightly gripped his hand. “I don’t want you to go. I don’t want you to go at all.” Shion told him. “I don’t know what’d I do.”

Nezumi stared, confused. “I’m not running any more errands tonight.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know… ” Shion, very reluctantly, released Nezumi’s hand, but Nezumi hadn’t yet let go.

“Do you need someone to sleep with?”

“No.”

“Yeah, you do.” Nezumi said, frank and blunt. “Come here.” His arms opened. 

Shion slowly snaked his arms around Nezumi’s waist, the two collapsing in bed together. Natural it felt, two of a kind, never to be seperated. Shion’s head once again tucked itself nicely under Nezumi’s chin. That night and that night only, Nezumi had held him much tighter than usual. 

Nezumi had expected to tense as he usually did when too intimate with Shion. Perhaps it was the most vulnerable time he had ever encountered Shion. He had caught himself surrendering to his own feelings around this boy many a time, so much so that he considered it inevitable nowadays, but this marked the first time a surrender could ever feel ever so joyous. 

With this thought, Nezumi ever so discreetly pressed a soft kiss to Shion’s temple. The last time his lips had met with Shion was the bitter taste he was sampled with the “goodnight” kiss. 

Shion hadn’t said a word in fear of stopping the affection, just smiled and accepted Nezumi. So many things scarce in the world and he had felt it, the touch of a miracle. 

“A million coincidences, all simultaneous, allowed me to meet you.” Shion muttered, and yet they chose to waste these impossible odds dwelling on mere survival. And what an insult to chance it was. There wasn’t survival if there wasn’t living: a logical conclusion that hit the two figures in the shadows, burning and destroying every ounce of instinct in its path. 

“Right.” Nezumi replied, unknowing of what else to say. “What are you going on about?”

“Nothing,” Shion said, “nothing at all.”

Nezumi pulled himself away so that he and Shion were nose to nose. Cupping his face, Nezumi stroked Shion’s scar that coiled around his cheek. 

It was a mutual kiss, both had leaned in that same time. Deep and true, yet ever so chaste. Pulling away, the two smiled at each other wide and genuine, their two opposite worlds colliding over and over again throughout that night.

**Author's Note:**

> Spent the day writing this as I was sick. These characters have inspired loads of my literary work and poetry, and to not have them on my dashboard? Criminal.


End file.
